Wednesday, July 6, 2016

5 Inspirational Book Series You Can't Put Down


Today I’d like to introduce guest blogger, Varina Denman.

Varina writes stories about the unique struggles women face. Her award-winning Mended Hearts series, which revolves around church hurt, is a compelling blend of women’s fiction and inspirational romance. A native Texan, Varina lives near Fort Worth with her husband and five mostly grown children. Connect with Varina on her website or one of the social media hangouts.

Welcome, Varina!

Dawn, thank you for hosting me on your blog today. It’s summertime, and we’ve all got extra time on our hands. My holiday break is swiftly getting filled with events, camps, and projects, but I still have plenty of time by the pool doing what I love best ... reading! I’ve put together a list of books to recommend to friends, specifically Christian book series that have been described as "can't-put-it-down." That's what we all LOVE to read, especially during the lazy summer months. I hope your blog readers find a new series on the list, and I hope they pour themselves a tall glass of iced tea, and sit down and relax. Happy reading, girlfriends! (Don't forget the suntan lotion)

Jan Karon’s Mitford Series.

http://www.mitfordbooks.com/?page_id=61
A little about At Home In Mitford: It’s easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.
Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won’t go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that’s sixty years old.
Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy in which mysteries and miracles abound.

Dawn Crandall’s The Everstone Chronicles.

http://dawncrandall.blogspot.com/p/what-i-write.html

A little about The Hesitant Heiress: After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, disappearing before her very eyes. Now, the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: Marry within the year to inherit the immense fortune of her estranged grandmother. Amaryllis reluctantly moves in to her aunt's Boston home and rubs shoulders with fashionable society. Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself quickly falling in love with the most unlikely of men--Nathan Everstone, the envy of every eligible female, whose father has haunted her dreams for the decade following her mother's tragic death. However, Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems...and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.

Katie Ganshert’s The Gifting Series.

http://katieganshert.com/books/young-adult/

A little about The Gifting: In a world where nothing supernatural exists, Tess Eckhart is positive she’s going crazy. What other explanation is there for the things she sees? After her complete freakout at a high school party, her parents worry she might be right. So much that they pack their bags and move across the country, next to a nationally-renowned facility for the mentally ill.
Despite the whispers and stares, Tess is determined to fit in at her new school. But when it comes to Luka Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she’s unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches start, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries harder to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something—that he might somehow be responsible.
But what if she’s wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness too terrifying to fathom?

Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim Fairy Tale Romance Series.

http://melaniedickerson.com/books.html
A little about The Healer’s Apprentice: Two Hearts. One Hope. Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

Varina Denman’s Mended Hearts Series.

http://varinadenman.com/books
A little about Jaded: As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation. Now, thirteen years later, Ruthie’s heart begins to stir when an attractive single preacher arrives. But their relationship is bitterly opposed, and a string of secrets are unearthed that threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside down.
Jaded is the rare novel that is a love story between both a woman and a man … and God and His church. Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness, and restoration, this book will resonate with every woman who’s experienced a loss of heart … and a thirst for hope.
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And now for a GIVEAWAY! 

What books/series are you planning to read this summer? 

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an Advance Reader Copy of my {Dawn here again, in case you missed that!} October release, The Cautious Maiden as well as an Advance Reader Copy of Varina’s newest novel, Jilted and a copy of Melanie Dickerson’s novel, The Fairest Beauty. I’ll choose a winner in about a week. (Open to US residents only).




Happy Reading! 

40 comments:

  1. Oh these all sound so good!! I've decided that this is the summer of reading all the books in my closet that I haven't gotten a chance to read yet, so I've got a stack that rivals Barnes & Noble! I've got a little bit of everything from classics to new books!

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  2. Heroines Behind the Lines by Jocelyn Green is the series I hope to read next.

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    1. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to check that one out. I'm always looking for something good to read next. :)

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  3. Dawn, thank you for hosting me on your blog. I enjoyed putting this list of series together. There are so many good ones out there, and not enough time to read them all! :)

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  4. I love Dawn's books and have read them all. I might need to reread them this summer. :-) Maybe Melanie's too.

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  5. They all sound really good! Nice meeting you Varina. Thank you for sharing :)

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  6. These books sound awesome. I'm always in search of a new amazing series. Lately I've been rereading my favorite books and loving diving back into those stories.

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  7. I'm honestly not buttering anyone up, but the only series I am reading/completing are Dawn's, Varina's, and Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family. Dawn and Susan's books are sitting on my shelf crying out to me to be completed and I have been excitedly waiting for Varina's third book to a series destined to be Christian classics (IMHO.) Other than those series, I will be tackling some stand-alones. Although you have my interest in Katie Ganshert's book piqued. I don't tend to read speculative fiction, but I enjoy YA fiction so maybe I will make an exception. :)

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  8. Thank you for the chance to win such great books. I'm so busy right now with outside work I don't have time to read as much, but soon...very soon.

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  10. I'm going to read all the Everstone Chronicles so I'll be ready for October :) A friend recommended them to me so I can't wait to get started! I'm also planning on reading Lisa Bergren's new book, Three Wishes. I love everything by her and time travel/historical fiction is one of my favorite genres

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    1. Hi Abby! Congratulations! You're the winner of the three books! If you could, please email me your mailing address to dawncrandallwritesfirst at gmail (dot) com. I'll send them out to you soon! ❤️

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  11. I think Dawn's series sounds really good. I'm also interested in Melanie ' s fairy tale series. I haven't read any of Varina ' s books, but they also look interesting. I don't know how many I will get around to over the summer, but I will definitely keep these in mind.

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  12. I love, love Dawn's books but I would like to read Jaded. It really sounds like a good book. Also going to read Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton.

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  13. I just finished the second book in Everstone Chronicles. Next up is Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin. jarning67(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  14. I already read Varina's series, Dawn's series is in my tbr (2 are ebooks), I have Melanie's ebooks in my tbr. I read everything (christian fiction) I can get my hands on! I'm getting ready to start No Way Up by Mary Connealy!!!

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  15. I've got a list to take me into September, but The Cautious Maiden is on it!

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  16. I have some of Dawn's books as well as Melanie's - would love to read Varina's, love the storylines and have read so many wonderful reviews of her books!! Thanks so much for the giveaway opportunity!!

    bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  17. I have been reading Dawn Crandall's books and Melanie Dickerson's. I love them both so much!

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  18. I am currently reading Sarah's Surrender by Vickie Donough. I just finished reading No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer.

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  19. Many of the books I want to read this summer have now been added because of this presentation - so thank you! I am wanting to read Flirtation Walk, Every Waking Moment, Head in the Clouds, Room for Hope, etc. There are so many good ones being published!

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  20. I'm trying to whittle down my giant magazine and TBR piles. I have a variety of books that I've won that I want to read. Lori Benton, Becky Wade, Jody Hedlund, Stephen E. Robinson, Jennifer Lunt Moore, Sarah Ladd...Um, the list goes on but I don't remember everyone! Haha

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  21. I would love to win these books.
    My list for the summer:
    To finish all your books Dawn Crandall
    River Rest by Susan Page Davis
    Not Guilty by Teresa Pollard & Candi Pullen
    The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim

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  22. Too many to list but these look like wonderful reads.

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  23. I plan to read the two latest Beverly Lewis books then find another series to read. These series definitely if I win and I hope I do.

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  24. I have been reading all of Melanie's books this summer! Some have been in my public library, others I've gotten through InterLibrary Loan, and I just bought Healer's Apprentice. Have enjoyed the Everstone books of yours I've read as well! Valerie's and Katie's are on the TBR list and I still quote Father Tim from Mitford! 😄 Currently reading Roseanna White's, Culper Ring series... Outstanding! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  25. These all sound great. I am currently finishing reading the series about the Lockwood family by Jennifer Lunt Moore. I like the very unusual things the ladies manage to do to survive.

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  26. All of those sound great. I have a tbr pile as long as my arm to read this summer.

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  27. Oh, it boggles my mind to think of all the series I want to read, but I'm continuing The Pathfinders series by Lori Benton and starting the Canadian West series by Janette Oke.

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  29. I love the Mitford Series by Jan Karon!! I hope to read The Alliance (Petersheim)and Leaving Independence (Leanne Smith) very soon. I have 2 of the three in this giveaway on my TBR list, also. Will have to add The Fairest Beauty now.

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  30. I am hoping to finish up Nancy Mehl's Road to Kingdom series. I'm hopefully going to be able to finish The Everstone Chronicles, I have loved the ones I have read so far! I have never read any of Melanie's or Varina's books, so I'm looking forward to adding them to my to read list! Thanks for the fun giveaway! Love learning about new to me authors!

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  31. Melanie Dickerson's books sounds interesting.

    I am loving the Everstone's new book so far. :)

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  32. With my youngest in college, funds for buying books for me are a bit limited. I would dearly love to be the lucky one to win these ARCs!!! They all sound really good, and I have already started the Everstone Chronicles, so to win that one would be perfect! Thank you for this opportunity!!!

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  33. I can't wait to read The Cautious Maiden! I also plan to read Varina's The Mended Heart series. This Summer will be filled with reading some amazing books! Dawn, thank you for the recommendations and the giveaway.

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  34. Right now I'm reading the third book in The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips. Next up is Melanie's Golden Braid, which is the first one for me in this series.

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  35. Thought I'd add in that the first book in Katie Ganshert's YA series is free for kindle at the moment--(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WYK0NJ2/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_J7vGxb0RYTVSB), the first two books in Varina's series are $1 each for kindle right now, and my debut (the first in my series) is only $3.82 for kindle. :)

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  36. PS from 4linwood:
    My favorite series is the Mitford Series!
    Janice
    pjrcmoore@windstream.net

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  37. I just read A Hesitant Heiress yesterday, and I could hardly put it down. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I am going to request that my local library start getting Dawn's books. I also enjoy reading Karen Witemeyer, Susan May Warren, Elizabeth Camden and Jody Hedlund. I teach during the school year, so catching up on reading is my summer indulgence!

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  38. I kind of got distracted by babies and edits and everything in between--I kept thinking, "I need to get a winner for the giveaway!"--and then I would get distracted and forget! Well, anyway!!--the winning number went with Abby Brown's comment! Congratulations, Abby! ❤️

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